To me, one of the most memorable parts of The Wind Waker was entering the Forest Haven for the first time. It was fun grappling up the river and making my way inside the ginormous tree in the middle of the ocean. Upon entering, you are greeted with a quirky tune as you make your way up to the Great Deku Tree.

Z.R.E.O. has taken this piece of the soundtrack and reimagined it as something truly wondrous.

Not satisfied with just the marimba, Z.R.E.O. mixes in bells in this otherwise repetitious track throughout the song. This, to me, coincides perfectly with the children of the forest, the Koroks. The sitar comes in, stronger than the original, but nothing compared to when the powerful drums are introduced. All of these grand instruments together are accompanied by a slight echo, which alone makes the enormous tree hollow feel that much bigger. You then get not just a bassoon, but an entire wind section playing pieces of the Kokiri Forest and Saria’s Song.

The memories always fill my thoughts whenever I listen to this piece. I always felt like Link when I entered the haven, just a little kid in a big, awe-inspiring new world, and this re-orchestration conveys just that feeling.